1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a data compression apparatus for data compressing a digital information signal obtained from a digital audio signal, the digital information signal comprising p-bit samples, where p is an integer larger than 1, the apparatus comprising
means for receiving the digital information signal, PA1 lossless compression means for carrying out a substantially lossless compression step on the digital information signal so as to obtain a data compressed digital information signal, the lossless compression means comprising a Huffman type encoder, PA1 output means for supplying the data compressed digital information signal, to a data expansion apparatus for data expanding a data compressed digital information signal obtained from a digital audio signal, the apparatus comprising PA1 input means for receiving the data compressed digital information signal, PA1 lossless expanding means for carrying out a substantially lossless data expansion step on the data compressed digital information signal so as to obtain a replica of the digital information signal, the lossless expanding means comprising a Huffman type decoder, PA1 output means for supplying the replica of the digital information signal, to a transmitter comprising the data compression apparatus, to a receiver comprising the data expansion apparatus, and to a method for data compressing said digital information signal. PA1 input means for receiving the data compressed digital information signal, PA1 lossless expanding means for carrying out a substantially lossless data expansion step on the data compressed digital information signal so as to obtain a replica of the digital information signal, the lossless expanding means comprising a Huffman type decoder, PA1 output means for supplying the replica of the digital information signal is characterized in that the Huffman type decoder is a Rice decoder, which Rice decoder is distinguishable by a code parameter m, the Rice decoder comprising generator means for generating said code parameter from N samples of the replica of the digital information signal in accordance with the following formula: ##EQU2## where A and B are constants and x[n] is the n-th sample of the N samples, where N is an integer larger than 0. The invention is based on the following recognition.
2. Description of the Related Art
Huffman type encoders and decoders are well known in the art. Reference is made in this respect to the publication `A method for the construction of minimum-redundancy codes`, by D. A. Huffman in Proc. of the IRE, Vol. 40(10), September 1952, and to the publication `Adaptive variable length coding for efficient compression of spacecraft television data`, by R.F. Rice et al in IEEE Trans on CT, vol. 16(9), 1971.--.
For the DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) an audio-only application called DVD Audio is, at the time of writing, under discussion. If all wishes from the audio community with respect to the number of channels, sampling frequency, number of bits per sample and playing time have to be accommodated, even the high capacity of DVD is not sufficient.